In an effort to connect real world with the content in Speech class, I make a habit of showing students any major Presidential addresses immediately after they are made. At the beginning of the semester, students always complain, saying the speech is boring. Before watching, we discuss the pertinent events and information they need to understand what the President is talking about. I create these informational scaffolds for them so they can see political speeches aren't useless and yawn-worthy if you know what is happening in the world. This time, they came in asking to see the address.
After watching the President's announcement that Osama bin Laden was dead, the students began to discuss what they heard from their parents and teachers. Among the information discussed was the way Osama bin Laden used a woman as a shield to protect himself from gunfire. What intrigued me was the following conversation:
T- Hey did you hear how bin Laden was only 100 yards from us? That's crazy! How could we not know he was there?
Me- Well, we did know. The military confirmed his location and then planned how to take him down. They didn't want to rush the operation and lose him again.
T- Yeah that makes sense.
S- That's how we'd do it in our game!
Me- What game?
C-Call of Duty.
S- Yeah, that's smart, planning it out and stuff.
T- Did you hear how he used a lady as a shield?
Me- No, I didn't hear that. What happened?
T- Well, I don't really know. Ms. H said he used the woman as a human shield.
C- Coward.
S- Didn't something like that happen in Call of Duty?
T- Yeah, yeah... I can't remember.
C- That Caster guy from Cuba.
S- Fidel Castro! That's right. He does the same thing.
Co-It's awesome.
After listening to their conversation, it made me think gaming can help in more ways than we have intially thought. Often, we put down war games as too violent to make an impact. We think they aren't learning anything when playing these ultra-violent shooter games. In fact, in this instance, students were able to remember who Fidel Castro was, and make a comparison between him and Osama bin Laden. Allowing my students the freedom to discuss their game revealed pockets of information I didn't even know they had. I wonder what else we'd hear if we gave them an avenue to discuss the games that are so dear to them?
Mazetti, M, Cooper, H, & Baker, P. (2011) Behind the hunt for bin laden. New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/03/world/asia/03intel.html
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